For a state that has been home to Geronimo, Wyatt Earp, César Chavez and Wonder Women, you would think Arizona earned some respect. Yet achieving statehood was a 50-year struggle, which finally ended on February 14, 1912. Jana borrows from both her work for True West Magazine and her work for Phoenix Magazine to put […]
Featuring compelling documentaries based on interviews, this presentation shares stories about prominent African Americans who contributed to the life and culture of Arizona. Such luminaries include the late Dr. Eugene Grigsby, Betty Fairfax, Judge Jean Williams, Rev. Warren Stewart, Councilman Calvin Goode, and Carol Coles Henry. Each individual’s life is contextualized using prominent events that […]
When the African slave was brought to the Caribbean and North and South America, s/he brought her oral literature and performance style. This presentation focuses on the transfer of those oral traditions from African culture to African American culture. Such traditions can be heard in trickster stories, but also observed in the narration of myths, […]
Arizona played a key role in preparing to send humans to the moon in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The Apollo astronauts themselves traveled to the Grand Canyon and volcanic fields around the state to learn geology and practice their lunar excursions. Meanwhile, U.S. Geological Survey engineers worked with NASA staff members to develop and test […]
Although history tries to tell us ONLY men settled the Old West, that is shattered by Jana’s verbal tour through some of the amazing women who made all the difference. Any woman who came West in the 1800s had to be full of grit and spit to survive and Jana has collected the stories of […]
Arizona has always been a geographical muse for writers, artists and composers, as well as a getaway for the rich and famous. In this talk, learn about some of the people who have had adventures, weddings and unusual experiences here, while also learning about some of the places they lifted a glass, and why you […]
This is an interactive workshop that explores influential and little known African American contributions and the road they paved to make it possible for African American leaders we have today such as Oprah Winfry, Michael Jordan, and Maya Angelou. Dr. Tamika Sanders is an entrepreneur who decided to become an educator to help address the […]
What is a body beside a person, a structure, the hull of a ship? Can there be a body of hope, of sorrow, of dreams, of poetry? And what of writing? How does it move us, help give shape to thought and experience? Join us as we explore The Written Body with poet Eloisa Amezcua, […]
Father Kino was a cartographer, explorer, geographer, scientist, and a man with a mission. Through his knowledge of agriculture, he introduced new livestock breeds and shared expertise on animal husbandry to native groups in the area. The new plants and fruit trees he brought to the New World introduced a variety of foods to eat […]
Tucson’s African-American community overcame numerous scandals to become some of the city’s most prosperous and well-known citizens. Newspapers throughout the Arizona territory captured more than their unlawful exploits but gave biographical information about each African-American. Men like George Bragg, who was a barber by trade, made headlines that rocked when he was charged with the […]
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Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.
